Fic - Not Them

[fidelitas]

Title: Not Them
Rating: PG, for a couple instances of cursing and talk of guy stuff.
Characters: Zack and Cloud, could be Zack/Cloud if you squint and headtilt a bit.
Summary: Two friends have a fireside chat while out on mission.
Disclaimer: I am not Squeenix. If I were, I would have super cool hair. And an overcompensating sword. Le sigh.
A/N: A late birthday present for dearest hollow_strife . This is the third idea I had. The first ended up long and boring. The second was a consolidated version of the first and got depressing and dull. And then I remembered that dialogue is my strongpoint. Tada!

“I swear. These rations are gonna be the death of me.”

“Then don’t eat them. And you shouldn’t complain.”

The nutrition bar, whatever was really in it, was halfway to Zack’s mouth when Cloud spoke. Well. Someone wasn’t beating around the bush tonight. Zack dropped his hand back to his leg and tilted his head, watching his friend next to him, hair almost glowing in the firelight. “Yeah, but…then I’d just starve quicker. I’m a growing boy. I need good sustenance.”

Cloud, on the other hand, nibbled on his bar, looking at the heart of the flame intently. Watching the wood be devoured by the fire kept his attention whenever they camped and settled in for the night. Only Cloud was usually alone at this point. He tried to perform his job well, of course, but he was so quiet and withdrawn that no one wanted his company. Cloud was the weird one, the kid that no one found worth their time, or so he felt.

And then there was Zack. And, well, he didn’t care what the others thought.

Eventually, Cloud shook his head. “You’re nearly eighteen. We stop growing around that age.”

“Says the kid without mako demanding to be fed.”

Nibble, nibble. “You’ll find an excuse for anything, won’t you?”

Zack grinned. “Only if it keeps the morale up.” And finally he took a bite of his bar, seeming to forget he was whining about it in the first place. “And it keeps my wit sharp. A guy like me needs that, y’know.”

“Right…” They sat in a companionable silence for a few moments, but then laughter from a nearby fire echoed over toward them. Cloud turned to watch his fellow cadets lean into each other, telling wild stories, probably mostly fabricated, and throwing their trash into the fire, finding that somehow extremely entertaining.

Cloud didn’t get it. What was so funny about burning your trash? Pyros, the lot of them.

But the friendship, the camaraderie, that is what Cloud thought he understood. But he never fit in with their sophomoric point of views. If only he could lower his standards for a few days or so. Maybe he’d make more than two or three acquaintances.

“Aw, shit…” He turned back to Zack in time to see the taller man pick up his dropped bar from the dirt, what was left of it, and reluctantly throw it in the fire. Another bout of laughter traveled their way and Cloud felt his brows knit together.

Why him?

“…Zack?”

As he wiped his hands on his trousers he turned, eyes filled with curiosity, back to Cloud. “What’s up?”

Cloud frowned and watched the burning remains of Zack’s ruined dinner. Then he jerked his head toward the other fire. “Shouldn’t you be over there?” He waited.

And Zack only let out an amused breath. “What for?” Wrapping an arm around Cloud’s shoulders, he pulled the blond in for a half-hug. “Why shouldn’t I be allowed to hang out with my pal right here?”

“…Because you’re more like them.” And Zack was. He was popular, the one everyone wanted to be around. And for some reason he had chosen Cloud out of the entire company to bond with. It made no sense.

Sighing, Zack moved his hand into Cloud’s spikes, ruffling them slightly. “If I am…then I’d really rather stay away from their influence.”

Wait, what? Cloud raised his head again, confusion plainly visible on his face.

A laugh passed through Zack’s lips as he let go of his friend. “They’re boring, Cloud. They’re the generic cadets who aren’t doing this for the right reasons. They wanted to get to Midgar to get away from home, or to find out if what they hear about cheap brothels is true. They couldn’t care less what people like me really want to accomplish.”

“So…what does that have to do with me?”

A smile was his only reply for a few moments. And then, “You’re not like them.”

Cloud cocked his head to the side, chancing a snarky reply to that. Somehow he felt safe to do such a thing with Zack. “It is good to get out of Nibelheim sometimes, though.”

Zack just shook his head, a smile still on his lips. “You’ve got dreams, kid. I can see it in your eyes. You wanna do more than just indulge materialistic curiosities.” He gestured loosely with his hand to the other group. “Those guys? They’re two-dimensional. They won’t get much of anything done. But you…” Here Zack paused and lifted that same hand toward the starry heavens, fingers outstretched as the light from the fire danced over his already tanned skin. “You’re gonna go places. You’ll do things and make people proud.”

“…You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” Cloud wouldn’t say it was working.

“I mean every word I ever say.”

“So you won’t mind if I tell the General that you think he needs to cut his hair so the Honeybee Inn doesn’t accidentally pick him up for business.”

Well. That was mean. Zack laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. “…You wouldn’t dare.”

And seeing the SOLDIER caught off guard put a smug smirk on Cloud’s fair face. “Maybe you should watch what you say.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so damn literal.” Zack’s smile was back, seemingly over his uncertainty, and he lightly shoved against Cloud’s shoulder.

And with that serious moment over, their own laughter wafted over to the other fire, earning their wrestling forms a curious look from the other group. But they didn’t care, and Cloud didn’t care. Maybe he wasn’t so weird anymore.

Or maybe he was learning that it was okay to be different.

Thank you…Zack.